News

Roadshow: I-280 in San Francisco to be closed

By Gary Richards grichards@mercurynews.com

Posted:
06/30/2014 05:53:24 AM PDT

Updated:
06/30/2014 05:53:33 AM PDT

Q A few weeks ago Caltrans closed down part of the Interstate 280 interchange at Highway 101 in San Francisco for some work, but it really didn't mess up traffic much. Now I hear they are doing another closing over the July 4 holiday. Can you give me some details? Will problems be worse this time?

Philip M.

Mountain View

A Worse and longer. The state will close northbound I-280 at Highway 101 to downtown San Francisco from 9 p.m. Wednesday to 5 a.m. Monday. Numerous holiday events are planned in the city, it's tourist season, the Giants are at home and you can expect delays to be lengthy.

Northbound 280 traffic will detour to 101. Also closed will be the Alemany Boulevard onramp, the 101 connector to north 280, the Indiana Street/25th Street onramp and the 18th Street onramp. Southbound I-280 will remain open, however.

This closure is necessary to replace a bridge hinge on north I-280 between Cesar Chavez Street and 24th Street. An additional closure is planned for the Labor Day weekend.

Q Gary, I think that this road-rage incident is one for the books. My wife was traveling south on Camden Avenue approaching the Highway 85 underpass in San Jose. She was in the inside lane in preparation for a left turn at Kooser Road when a speeding red car passed her on the right, then attempted to swing into the right-turn-only lane for the 85 north onramp.

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Unfortunately, an SUV was in this lane but was attempting to change back into the straight through lane. Since the light was red, there was not enough room to pull the SUV completely out of the right-turn-only lane. This blocked the red car, much to his apparent dismay. The driver rolled down his window and with his slingshot -- yes, a slingshot -- fired a projectile at the back of the SUV, resulting in broken glass all over the place. When the light turned green, the red car sped off onto 85 with the SUV in pursuit.

This was absolutely crazy, don't you think?

B.H.

A Unbelievable. Slingshot guy should be glad the driver of the SUV didn't have a gun.

Q I saw the report on Oakland Mayor Jean Quan using her phone. She said that she was using a navigation app. The reporter said that using the navigation on a phone is illegal. I thought that it is legal to use a navigation app on your phone. Who is correct?

Ron Lord

A The CHP says it is legal to use the navigation app on your phone, although it is highly discouraged because it takes your eyes off the road.

Q I was in line at the metering lights from Highway 237 east to I-880 south. There are two lanes with metering lights, but no carpool lane. A motorcycle split the lanes, paused briefly, then took the first green along with the car in that lane. Is it legal to split here? And to share the green with a car? Not mad, just curious.

Luke Mulcahy

San Jose

A Yes, as long as the motorcycle stayed predominantly in one of the two lanes and moved onto the freeway on the green light for that lane.